Refrigerating apparatus



Sept. l2, 1944. E. D DRAKE 2,358,221

REFRIGERATING APPARATUS y Filed Oct. l6, 1941 Irv-@.1

J7 J7 J? Ji H TTOP/YEY upper corner of the. cabinet;

taken along line -5 of Patented Sept. 1.2-, 1944 Earl D. Drake,

Grand Rapids, Mich, assignor to Nash-Kelvinator Corporation, Detroit, Mich., a

corporation of Maryland Application October 16, 1941, Serial No. 415,185

3 Claims.

The present invention pertains to refrigerators and more particularly to construction. l

It is an object of the present invention to construct a refrigerator cabinet having Ainner and outer Walls interconnected by relatively thin metal breaker strips of low heat conductivity extending peripherally adjacent to the opening to a vfood -storage compartment so as to form the front wall of the cabinet and joining adjacent breaker strips by a trim strip which is held in refrigerator cabinet locking engagement with the adjacent breaker Strips.

It is another object of the present inventionl to arrange the joining of adjacent'breaker strips by a trim strip so as lationship therebetween.

It is still another object of the present .invention to attach a trim strip in overlapping relation between adjacent breaker strips without use of screws or other external appearing aiiixing means. n

The invention itself, however, both as'to its organization and -its method of operation, to.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view taken along line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary rear Fig. 4 is a perspective illustrated in Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary cross`-sectiona1 View Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 is` a fragmentary cross-sectional view taken along line 6-6'of Fig. 3;

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary rear plane view of a lower corner of the cabinet;

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of a corner trim as illustrated in Fig. 7; and

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary cross-sectional View taken along line .9-9 of Fig. 7.

view of a corner trim as Shown in the drawing is a refrigerator cabinet 2U having a food storage compartment 22. The compartment is refrigerated by a suitable refrigerating unit (not shown). An opening 24 is formed in the front wall of the cabinet for access to the food storage compartment. The opening plan view of an.

to form-an interlocking reis secured a gasket mounted door 25 to which 26 extending peripherally about the edge of the door and sealing against the front wall of the cabinet immediately adjacent to and about the Opening 24 to prevent air entering the food storage compartment.

The cabinet 20 is constructed with an outer metal shell or casing 3U and an inner liner, shell or casing 32. The walls of the inner and outer shells are-'in spaced apart relation between which is interposed suitable heat insulation material 34. The inner shell or liner 32 forms the walls ofthe food storage compartment 22.

.The outer metal casing 30 forms the sides and is closed by a plvotally .top walls of the cabinet and has its front marginal edge bent at right angles to form a portion of the front wall of the cabinet, as at 36. The

bottom in a cross member 42 which is welded toA and forms an integral part of the outer casing 30.

The inner liner or shell 32 is formed with a front wall section 44 which is in substantial planular alignment with the front wall section 36 of the outer casing. The marginal edge of the section 44 is bent at right angles to form a rearwardly extending flange of the liner 32.

The front wall sections 36 and i4 are in substantial spaced apart relation to be joined by a heat breaker strips 50. The breaker strips are formed of relatively thin metal, preferably stainless steel or other metal having low heatconductivity, and of not greater thickness than .010 inch. The breaker strip is formed to extend along a side on the front wall adjacent to the opening 24 thereof,.a similar strip is positioned along the other side on the front wall, and are joined by breaker strip 5| along the top, and by breaker strip 52 24. Since the principle of attaching the other strips are the same, there is only shown in detail vex curve from within the pocket 40 of the o uter casing to over and against the face of the front wall section 44 of the inner liner. The strip is v4t spaced from the sidesl along the bottom adjacent to the opening frictionauy held in the marginal edge Il to form a V with the front.

pocket by bending the portion of the breaker strip. The edge Il tensioning against the back wall-31 presses the front portion against the edge of the front wall 3B. The opposite edge o! the breaker strip is formed with an inwardly turned` marginal edge 65' extending angularly between leg Il of 4clip I1 and the front wall Il. 'I'he edge of the leg 58 Ais pressed upwardly, as at il, to i'orm a locking engagement with the edge Il.

A plurality of clips 51 are attached in spaced apart relation upon the flange Il for the securement of the breaker strips. The clips are attached by legs B! in fiush'contact against a face oi' the flange I0 by tongue l0 extending through an opening in the flange 48 to engage the opposite side or face of the flange l0. 'I'he leg 'I9 extends beyond the edge of the flange with indented portions engaging the edge which, together with the tongue 6l, serve to securely ai'iix the clip to the ilange I0.

Each of the breaker strips are reinforced and 'rne opposite end a formed with vertical arms 91, formed in a V, and joined with section 8|.

'TheVformedarms91areadaptedtoliebestinened by a -pad 82, preferably of heat insulation material, cemented to the rear face, or the concave side of the breaker strip.`

Between the vertical extending breaker strips 50 along the side adjacent to the opening 2l and the horizontally extending strip 5l along the top adjacent to the opening 24 is a spatial gap which is closed by corner trim strips 6I. Each corner strip 84 extends horizontally with the top breaker strip Il and comprises oi' top or cover section 85,\a turned extending section 66 forming a diagonal end, and a back section 61. A

tongue 10 is punched adjacent one end in section 6 One edge of the back section is curled, as at 14.

The corner strip is attached by sliding the top section B5 horizontally with the top breaker strip Il so as to overlap the adjacent edges of the and tongue 12 is punched in the back section breaker strips 5| and 50. The end oi! the section O5 enters the pocket l0 with the tongue 10 entering the slot `11 formed in the breaker strip 5l. The slot 15 is formed elongated of suilicient length for the tongue to enter before entering thepocket, after which it isheld in locking engagement by the pressure of the breaker strip towards the iront wall thus holding in a viselike ygrip thesection l5 therebetween. The opposite end of-the breaker strip, the diagonal sec.- tion forms a diagonal corner between the breaker .strips and 52, while the back section 61 serves to lock the trim to the breaker strips against withdrawal. The curled edge 14 hooks over the edge of the breaker strip 5l, and the tongue 12 .locks behind the edge |55 of the breaker strip 50. The engagement of the curled portion over an edge of the breaker strip 50 together with the tongue 1U in slot 15 serve to align the corner strip, and together with the tongue 12 engaging behind edge of strip Il of the breaker strip 50 forms an interlocking relation between the adjacent breaker strips, and between breaker strips and corner strips. Removal of the corner strip is prevented by the tongue 12 abutting the edge oi strip 50.

tween the adjacent ends pf the breaker strips l0 and 52 serving to center the top section Il so as to lie in overlapping relation over the adjacent ends of the breaker strips. 'I'he end of the corner strip with arms 91 lies within the pocket 4c. The section 92 on the Yopposite end serves as a diagonal corner for the adjacent joining edges of the breaker strips, with the back section 94 locking between the front wall and the turned edge 55 of each breaker strip by means o! tongues 95. Each tongue ll is held in abutment against an edge 55 of a respective breaker strip, preventing withdrawal of the corner strip.

'I'he top sections 9| and Il of respective corner strips 90 and M are formed to be in conformity to the design of the breaker strip so as to lie in snug engagement therewith, or may be formed of sufilcient light weight material to readily bend and assume the contour of the breaker strip as they are attached in position. The sections B0 and' 6| may if desired be embossed or impressed which also are held in self-locking engagementto the breaker strips. The arrangement being such as to facilitate assembling of the cabinet,

while at the same time' provides a smoothl exterior front wall.

While I have shown and described the preierred form of myinvention, I do.not wish to y limit myself to the precise detail as shown, but wish to avail myself of such variations, and modications as may come within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim: Y

1. A cabinet construction comprising spaced apart vwall members, a vertically extending breaker strip extending across said Wall members, a horizontally extending breaker strip extending across said wall members with an end portion in close proximity to an end portion of the vertically extending breaker strip, each of said breaker strips being provided with a longitudinal turned edge portion, a relatively thin metallic member extending across the space between said end portions, means formed adjacent one end of said Vmember -to lie between the end portions of said adjacent breaker strips forv bers, a horizontally extending'breaker strip extending across said wall members with an edge portion ,in close proximity to an end portion of the vertically extending breaker strip, each of said breaker strips being provided with a longitudinal turned edge portion, a relatively thin metallic member'bridging the space between said adjacent end and edge portions of said breaker strips, said metallic member having one end thereof bent and extending beneath a longitudinal turned edge of said horizontally and vertically extending breaker strips, and said bent portion being provided with means engaging the free edge of said longitudinal turned edge portion of each of said breaker strips.

3. A cabinet construction comprising spaced apart wall members with vertically extending breaker strip extending across said wall members, a horizontally extending breaker strip extending across said wall members with an edge i portion in close proximity to an end portion of the vertically extending breaker strip, each of said breaker strips being provided with a longitudinal turned edge portion, one of said breaker strips being provided with a slot along one edge thereof, a relatively thin metallic member bridging 'the space between said adjacent end and edge portions and provided with means tor ensagement in said slot of said breaker strip, said metallic member having one end thereof bent and extending beneath a longitudinal turned edge of said horizontally and vertically extending breaker strips. and said bent portion being provided with means engaging the free edge oi said longitudinal -turned edge portion of each of said breaker strips.

EARL D. BRAKE. 

